Tie Snaps Y-D’s Four-Game Win Streak

By: Brian Melanson

After beating the Falmouth Commodores the last time the two teams met on June 13, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox hoped for a similar result at home as they faced off again on Sunday night at Red Wilson Field. However, after scoring three runs in the first, the Red Sox were held scoreless until the tenth when the game ended unceremoniously in a 4-4 tie.

With Falmouth’s Gavin Kilen working as the “ghost runner” at second base in the tenth inning, a Joseph Redfield groundout and a Kyle Debarge sac fly were all the Commodores needed to take the lead at 4-3.

With two outs in the bottom half of the 10th, Nick Mitchell was called to pinch run for Casey Cook at second for Y-D with the game on the line. Mitchell advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when Hunter Hines legged out an infield single to tie things at 4-4. That was all Y-D would get as no eleventh inning was played per league rules.

“This is the right thing that should happen for the fans and the players,” Y-D’s field manager Scott Pickler said of the ten-inning tie. “I’m fine with a tie when they give us a chance to start with a man on second… I love that they do it.”

The Red Sox came into this contest as the highest-scoring offense in the league in addition to their four-game win streak, also tops in the league. Recently, the team had put up runs in bunches early and this game was no different. Y-D exploded quickly in the first as Hines launched his second home run of the year, a three-run shot over the right field wall, that gave Y-D an early 3-0 lead.

Getting his second start of the season, Y-D’s Khal Stephen worked efficiently as he easily set down Falmouth’s first three batters. After the run support, he struck out the side in the second inning on his way to a six-strikeout day. He finished with 13 on the season which leads the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Falmouth finally responded at the top of the fourth. After Stephen allowed the first two baserunners of the game on a walk and a broken-bat single, Jack Laviolette squared up a line drive single that scored both runners to cut into the lead, 3-2.

The Commodores tied the game up an inning later in the fifth. A John Spikerman bunt was mishandled by third baseman Zander Darby who then overthrew Hines at first for a double. Spikerman advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sac fly that tied the game 3-3.

Before the start of the sixth, Pickler decided to pull Stephen for Jackson Roberts. He gave up two hits but worked a strikeout to keep Falmouth off the board. The bullpen continued to get work as Jackson was pulled for Blake Aita to start seventh. Aita worked two strikeouts to further keep Falmouth off the board.

The Red Sox managed to hold the Commodores scoreless through the eighth to keep their hopes alive. With two outs, two Commodores in scoring position, and a full count, Aita struck out his third batter of the game to end the top half of the eighth. He finished the game with four en route to a scoreless outing through nine.

Jacob Jenkins-Cowart started the bottom of the ninth with a single, his first hit in his debut. Brady Day followed up with a walk. With the winning run in scoring position, Jenkins-Cowart tried to take third on a ball that got passed catcher Walker Janek but was called out at third. With Day now the winning run at first, a Jakob Christian walk moved him into scoring position with two outs. 

After Christian beat out the toss to second for the force out, Day was caught too far off of third, seemingly thinking Christian was out. A run-down ensued and he was tagged out at home. With two chances to win the game in the ninth, Y-D ended up tying the game in the tenth to move to 4-2-1 on the season.

The Red Sox are set to take on the Orleans Firebirds for the first time this season at Eldredge Park on Monday, June 19.